Introduction: How to Assess the Blair Legacy?

Abstract

On the morning of 2 May 1997, an exhausted and victorious Tony Blair arrived at 10 Downing Street amid cheers and flag-waving supporters. After 18 years in the wilderness, Labour was back—unquestionably so, with its majority of 179. It was, of course, a rebranded party born of past defeat: not the Labour of beer and sandwiches, but “New Labour” of claret and cool Britannia. That morning, all seemed within the grasp of the new, vibrant prime minister. And the contrast to John Major could not have been starker. The Conservatives were a lackluster, exhausted government, whose final years were marked by policy drift and political sleaze. By dragging Labour back to the political center, Blair and his allies hoped not only to win the election, but also to make it once again an enduring party of government in the eyes of the electorate. In their manifesto they exclaimed that Britain deserved better. Hospitals, schools, roads—all things they said the Tories neglected—would be put right. With Blair leading the way, New Labour was going to make Britain great again. Blair told the Downing Street crowd, “Today, we are charged with the deep responsibility of government. Today, enough of talking—it is time now to do.”